Wuchak Black: If A Woodchuck Could Chuck Hops
Wuchak Black from Kichesippi Beer Company in Ottawa, Ontario pours dark brown with crimson tinges visible when held towards the light and a frothy, tan-coloured head that leaves spotty lacing and settles a thin collar. This Cascadian Dark Ale (aka Black IPA) has a rich roasted malt character on the nose. Coffee, cigar, wood and chocolate tones are accented my piny hops and red berry juice.
This Winter Seasonal has a Rich Roasted Character
The taste of Wuchak Black goes hand-in-hand with its smell. Deep, dark chocolate and coffee flavours are anchored by an assertive bitterness, with complimentary notes of lemon rind, pepper and grainy biscuit. The mouthfeel is fairly thick, grainy and oily, the carbonation is on the low side and a persistent collar creates a smooth creaminess that helps ease the ale down. Coffee, pepper and a lingering, lemony bitterness permeate the aftertaste.
Propeller Revolution: For Mother Russia!
Propeller Revolution from The John Allen Brewing Company Limited in Halifax, Nova Scotia is an opaque black with a moderate sized, frothy tan head that is retained as collared film and leaves some thick lace. This Russian Imperial Stout carries strong pine oil and spruce notes in its smell. Behind them are aromas of date, red berry, raisin, coffee and chocolate.
The Smell Reminds Me of Walking Through the Woods
The taste of Propeller Revolution with dark roasted malts and has an assertive bitterness. The woodsy character also remains, backed by coffee and chocolate flavours. The stout is full bodied and grainy, with a fairly mild carbonation and a tangible oiliness. There is a tart berry note in the finish and the bitter aftertaste has a roasted coffee tone.
Tempest Imperial Stout: Causing a Commotion
This seasonal American imperial stout from Amsterdam Brewing Company Limited in Toronto, Ontario is opaque black with a creamy beige head that sticks around as a thick collar and leaves spotty lacing behind. Tempest Imperial Stout has aromas of roasted grains, coffee, chocolate, wood and dark fruit, as well as a peppery bite.
I Use a Corkscrew Knife to Cut the Wax Seal
The taste of Tempest Imperial Stout follows suit, with roasted grains in the forefront and accents of dark chocolate coffee. A pronounced fruit flavour has a tart black cherry tone that transitions to a sharply bitter finish. The stout is grainy, earthy and weighs heavily on the tongue. A mild creaminess and oiliness eases the beer down and its hefty ABV is thoroughly masked by the rich flavours, which blend and linger in the aftertaste.
Old North Mocha Porter: Mocha Chocolata Ya Ya
Old North Mocha Porter from Lake of Bays Brewing Company in Baysville, Ontario is an opaque, steely black with a frothy off-white head that leaves spotty lace and settles as a collar. This coffee-infused American porter has vanilla, coffee, chocolate, dark fruit and musty wood aromas.
Deep, Dark Aromas and Flavours Highlight Old North Mocha Porter
The taste of Old North Mocha Porter has strong roasted grain, coffee, vanilla and chocolate flavours, accented by a berry-like character and finished with a pronounced bitterness. The mouthfeel is quite thin with a faint tingle on the tongue from mild carbonation, while the aftertaste carries notes of coffee and dark fruit.
Russian Gun imperial Stout: Pull the Trigger
Russian Gun Imperial Stout from Grand River Brewing in Cambridge, Ontario pours an opaque black, with dark ruby visible around the extreme edges of the glass. This strong brew has a creamy and soapy tan coloured head that leaves a ton of lace behind and settles as a thick film. The deep and complex aroma of Russian Gun Imperial Stout has strong notes of roasted malts, espresso and dark chocolate, along with a plum-like fruit tone and a piney bitterness.
This strong Beer is Loaded with Character
The taste of Russian Gun Imperial stout is anchored by a bitter roasted coffee-like flavour accented by baker’s chocolate and dark fruit juice. The stout is full-bodied with the long-lasting head providing an extremely smooth and creamy mouthfeel. The finish is bitter, with a chocolate tone that lingers in the aftertaste.
Bog Water: A Murky Situation
The appearance of Bog Water from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company in Vankleek Hill, Ontario certainly lives up to its name. This gruit ale pours a murky, sludgy rust red and copper brown mixture with an off-white head that burns off almost immediately, leaving a thin ring and almost no lace. Bog Water has a very smooth and appealing aroma anchored by earthy grains, grasses and malts. Sweet flowers, raisin, banana, spices and a bit of an overripe pear note also come through.
This Wild Ale is One of Ontario's Most Creative Beers
Bog Water tastes of honey sweetened flowers with a syrupy malt backing. A solid bitterness takes over, then grassy and flowery tones come through in the finish. The wild ale is medium-bodied with a very low carbonation, with both syrupy and yeasty qualities noticeable on the tongue. The aftertaste is bitter, with a floral taste and a sort of medicinal quality.